Closing mechanism for railroad car doors



Feb. 16, 1932. L. RENAUD CLOSING MECHANISM FOR RAILROAD CAR DOORS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 [GU15 Renaud INVENTOR Filed Feb. 14, 1931 Feb. 16, 1932. L. RENAUD CLOSING MECHANISM FOR RAILROAD CAR DOORS Filed Feb. 14. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ws Renaud.

INV ENT 0 R;

By Atflmsy Feb. 16, 1932. 1.. RENAUD GLOSING MECHANISM FOR F IAILROAD CAR DOORS Filed Feb. 14. 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Loul5 R naud myENTo 1 4/ k 9W1 Attams Patented F eb. 16, 1932 PATENT OFFICE LOUIS RENAUD, OF TOUCY, FRANCE CLOSING MECHANISM FOR RAILROAD CAR noons Application filed February 14, 1931, Serial No. 515,792, and in France February 20, 1930.

The present invention relates to mechanisms for closing the swinging doors of railroadv cars and has for its primary object to provide an improved mechanism of that type adapted to make the closing of the door a two-phase operation, the first phase being a swinging or rotational motion which engages the one edge face of the door snugly into one of a pair of recessed frame uprights, while the Second phase is a sliding or translational motion which thereafter engages the opposite edge face of the door snugly into the other recessed frame upright, thus securely holding the door in closed position without any risk of inadvertent or accidental opening for instance by children or under the action of jars.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved closing mechanism of the aforesaid type wherein the successive closing phases of the door: inward swinging motion into the one of the pair of recessed frame uprights, and sliding motion into the 2 opposite recessed frame upright are made 'pivot pins or pintles in the respective ends of one of its win s rovision beln made for holdin the latter win stationar durin 3 D C pletion of its sliding motion into engagement with the recessed frame upright opposite to the one carrying the hinge.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide an improved door closing mecha nism for railroad cars of simple construction and operation, cheap cost of manufacture and upkeep owing to its being made up of a small number of simple, rugged and easily accessible parts, and great readiness of assembly.

VJith these and such other objects in view as willincidentally appear hereinafter, the invention comprises the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts that possible by atwo-wing hinge having, two

will be described with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view illustrating the swinging connection between a railroad car door according to the invention and its frame, assuming said door to be in the open position.

igure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1 showing the door and the frame, again assuming the said door to be in the open position.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, however assuming the door to have reached the end of its inward swinging or rotational motion.

Figure 4 is another View also similar to Fig. 2 assuming the door to be completely closed that is to say after completion of its sliding or translational motion from one upright to another.

Like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

As illustrated, the vertical uprights 1, 2 of the door or sash frame are constituted by U- shaped metallic girders located in transverse alignment.

The door 3 has a width somewhat less than the distance between the base walls of the uprights 1, 2 and is hinged for swinging motion upon the U-shaped upright 2 of said frame in view of describing the arcuate path shown by the curvilinear arrow in Fig. 2 and snugly engaging the U-shaped upright 2. Said door is also hinged for sliding motion into the opposite U-shaped upright 1, as will be described hereafter, the flanges 4. and 5 of the latter upright 1 being of unequal length, transversely, as shown.

The swinging motion of the door 3 with respect to the upright 2 of the frame is obtained by means of a plurality of vertically aligned hinges, three of which are illustrated in the embodiment shown. Each of these hinges comprises a pair of oppositely directed and diverging wings 6, 6 and a pivot pin 7 The wing 6 preferably has a tight fit in a corresponding recess formed in the adjacent portion of the door 3 in which it is held by a screw 8. The other wing 6 of the hinge is so cranked intermediate its ends, as shown, as

to have its middle part embracing the base wall of the U-shaped upright 2. The free end of the wing 6 is looped and carried by a vertically extending pintle 9 engaging at either end in vertically aligned bearings 10, 10 respectively secured to the upper and lower ends of the flange 11 of the upright 2.

In order to allow the door 3 to slide in its own plane and to engage the U-shaped up right 1. the opposite upright 2 is cut away opposite the hinges which can thus swing upon the pintle 9 with respect to the bearings 10, 10 (Fig. 1).

One or more latching devices are associated with one or more of the hinges with a view to first holding their wing or wings 6 and the pin or pins 7 stationary while the wing or wings 6 and the door 3 swing with respect thereto into closing position, then to automatically free said wing or wings 6 so as to permit the latter to swing upon the pintle 9 once the door has been engaged into the U-shaped upright 2 for allowing sliding motion of said door into the upright 1.

Each of the aforesaid latching devices is constructed as follows: Underneath the hinge or each of the hinges whose cranked wings are to be held stationary temporarily is mounted a latch bar 12 adapted to slide in a pair of eyelets 13, 13 secured to the upright 2. The latch bar 12 has two upwardly extending abutments or bosses 14;. and 14*. A downwardly extending abutment or lug 15 formed on the wing 6 of the adjacent hinge under consideration is engaged, when the door is in the open position 1 and 2) between the bosses 14. 14* whereby the hinge wine: 6

is held by said bosses and can not move angularly so that the swinging motion of the door must necessarily take place about the The latch bar 12 carries an inwardly extending tenon 16 beveled terminally as at 17. When the door 3 swings into the U-sbaped upright 2, its edge face slides along the flange 18 of said upright and as said edge face of the door is formed with a mortise 19 into which the tenon 16 is trapped, the inward swinging motion of the door has the effect of shifting said tenon and consequently the latch bar 12 sidewise towards the flange 18 of the upright 2 and th s to disengage the co-operating abutn'ients 14. 14 and 15 from one another and to free the wing 6 for pivotal motion upon the pintle 9.

A spiral spring 20 fixed atone end to the upright 2 bears at its opposite or free end against a pin 21 inserted in the latch bar 12. The function of this spring 20 is to cause the bar 12 to automatically resume the position for which the hinge wing 6 is held stationary.

When the door has been closed e. swung home into the U-shaped upright 2 and slid home into the opposite U-shaped upright 1,

it may be locked by means of a lock associated with the latter.

According to the embodiment shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, inside the upright 1 are secured one or more bolts 22 having flanged or widened inner ends 23. Each of these bolts is adapted to penetrate into the casing 24 of a lock mounted on the adjacent edge face of the door 3 and comprising one or two latches 25, 25 which can be moved parallel to the upright 1 by conventional actuating means such as a handle or lever.

It will be understood that when the door 3 is in the closed position, the latches 25, 25" are imprisoned between the flange 23 of the bolt 22 and the base wall of the upright 1,, thus holding the door locked in its frame.

The operation is as follows: Assuming the door 3 to occupy its opened position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the latch bar 12 is pushed by the spring 20 into that position for which the abutment lug 15 is engaged between the abutment bosses 14, 14 whereby the wing 6 of the hinge is held stationary as is also the pin '7.

lVhen now the. door is pushed home, it swings as shown by the arrow in Fig. 2, with the wing 6" of its hinge with respect to the pin 7 which, as aforesaid, is then stationary and thus soon engages into the U-shaped upright 2. At the end of this angular motion, the door 3 presses the beveled face 17 of the tenon 16 formed on the latch bar 12 and forces said tenon against the flange 18 of the upright 2. The tenon 16 is thus forced into the mortise 19 formed in the door 3 and shifts the bar 12 laterally. In this position, the abutment lug 15 formed integral with the wing 6 is disengaged from the abutment bosses 14, 14 (Fig. 2) which frees the wing G for angular motion about the pintle 9. The door 3 is snugly engaged in the U-shaped upright 2 during that time.

The door is then slid, as shown by the rectilinear arrow f in Fig. 4, into the U-shaped upright 1. \Vhile the door performs this sliding motion, the pintle 9 of the wing or wings G of its hinge or hinges pivots with respect to the bearings 10, 10. It is then suflicient to actuate the latches 25, 25* of the lock 24 to engage said latches between the upright 1 and the flanges 23 of the bolts 22. The door is thus securely locked in the upright 1 while being still engaged in the opposite upright 2, so that it can not be opened inadvertently or accidentally for example by children in the railroad car or by jars. The width of the door is of course suitably reckoned to that efl'ect.

When now it is desired to open the door. all that is necessary is to first free its left edge face from the bolts 22 by properly moving the latches 25, 25 in any convenient or approved way, for instance by means of a handle or lever of usual form, then to slide the door from left to right in a reverse direction to that shown by the arrow in Fig. 4 so as to cause it to abut the base wall of the up right. 2. It then remains to swing out the door 3, which is an easy operation since it is no longer held in the opposite upright 1. \Vhile the door thus swings out, the tenon 16 becomes freed from the mortise 19 in the edge face of the door 3 so that under the action of the spring 20, the latch bar 12 resumes its original position while again holding the wing 6 of the hinge stationary with respect to the pintle- 9 in the upright embracing position shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

It will be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated is mere ly illustrative of same and that numerous minor constructional details might be altered without departing from the scope of the sub joined claims.

What: I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A closing mechanism for railroad car doors comprising in combination with a pair of transversely aligned recessed frame uprights, a door of a width somewhat less than the distance between the bottom walls of the uprights, a two-wing hinge having one of its wings fixed to the door and its other wing capable of embracing the adjacent upright and pivotally connected thereto at its free end, a latch element fitted on the last-named upright and adapted to hold the embracing hinge wing stationary when the door is 7 opened out, and means on theadjacent ed 'e face of the door for releasing said hinge wing from said latch element upon completion of the inward swinging motion of the door and for permitting sliding motion of the door into or from the other recessed upright.

2. A closing mechanism for railroad car doors comprising, in combination with a pair of transversely aligned U-shaped frame uprights, a door of a width somewhat less than the distance between the base walls of the two uprights, a two-wing hinge having one of its wings fixed to the door and its otaer wing cranked for embracing the adjacent upright, a pintle pivotally carrying the free end of the cranked hinge wing a latch element slidably fitted on the last-named upright and adapted to hold the cranked hinge wing stationary when the door is opened out, and means on the adjacent edge face of the door for releasing said hinge wing from said latch element upon completion of the inward swinging motion of the door and for permitting sliding motion of the door into or from the U-shaped upright opposite to the one carrying the hinge.

3. A closing mechanism for railroad car doors comprising, in combination with a pair of transversely aligned U-shaped frame uprights, a door of a width somewhat less than the distance between the base Walls of the two uprights, a two-wing hinge having one of its wings fixed to the door and its other wing cranked for embracing the adjacent upright, a pintle pivotally carrying the free end of the cranked hinge wing, vertically aligned hearings on the last-named upright for receiving the pint e, a latch element fitted on said last-named upright and having abutments engaging associate abutments on the cranked hinge wing for holding the latter stationary when the door is opened out, and means on the adjacent edge face of the door for disengaging said respective abutinents while releasing said hinge wing from said latch element upon completion of the inward swinging motion of the door, thus permitting sliding motion of the door into or from the U-shaped upright opposite to the one carrying the hinge.

l. A closing mechanism for railroad car doors col iprising, in combination with a pair of transversely aligned Ushaped frame uprights, a door of a width somewhat less than the distance between the base walls of the two uprights, a two wing hinge having one of its wings fixed to the door and its other wing cranked for embracing the adjacent upright and provided with an abutment lug, a pintle pivotally carrying the free end of the cranked hinge wing, vertically aligned bearings on side extensions of the last-named upright for receiving tl e pintle, a latch bar slidably fitted on said last-named upright parallel to its base wall and having spaced abutment bosses engageable with the abutment lug on the cranked hinge wing, a spring urging the respective abutments into engage ment and holding the cranked hinge wing stationary when the door is opened out and means on the adjacent edge face of the door for disengaging said respective abutments while releasing said hinge wing from said latch bar upon completion of the inward swinging motion of the door, thus permitting sliding motion of the door into or from the U-shaped upright opposite to the one carrying the hinge.

5. A closing mechanism for railroad car doors comprising, in combination, a pair of transversely aligned U-shaped frame uprights, a door of a width somewhat l ss than the distance between the base walls of the two upri hts, a two-wing hinge having one of its wings fixed to the door and its other wing cranked for embracing the adjacent upright and provided with an abutment lug, said adjacent upright being cut away over that part of its height corresponding to said cranked hinge wing, a pintle pivotally carrying the free end of the cranked hinge wing, vertically aligned hearings on side extensions of the last-named upright for receiving the pintle, a latch bar slidably fitted on said last-named upright parallel to its base wall and having spaced abutment bosses engageable with the abutment lug on the cranked hinge wing and an inwardly extending beveled tenon, a spring urging the respective abutments into engagement and i holding the cranked hinge wing stationary while the door is opened out, and a mortise in the adjacent edge face of the door for engaging said tenon and shifting it sidewise together with the latch bar as the door is swung home for disengaging the respective abutinents and releasing said hinge wing from said latch bar upon completion of the inward swinging motion of the door, thus permitting sliding motion of the door into or from the U-shaped upright opposite to the one carrying the hinge.

6. A closing mechanism for railroad car doors comprising, in combination with a pair of transversely aligned U-shaped frame uprights, a door of a width somewhat less than the distance between the base walls of the two uprights, a two-wing hinge having one )f its wings fixed to the door and its other wing cranked for embracing the adjacent upright and provided with an abutment, said adjacent upright being cut away over that part of its height corresponding to said. cranked hinge wing, a pintle pivotally carrying the free end of the cranked hinge wing, bearings receiving said pintle, a latch element slidably tted on the last-named upright parallel to its base wall and having spaced abutments engageable with the former abutment and an inwardly extending projection, a spring urging the respective abutments into engagement and holding the cranked hinge wing stationary while the door is in opened out position, a recess in the adjacent edge face of the door for engaging said projection and shifting it together with the latch element as the door is swung home for disengaging the respective abutments and releasing said hinge wing from said latch element upon completion of the inward swinging motion of the door, thus permitting sliding motion of the door into or from the U-shaped upright opposite to the one carrying the hinge, and locking means carried by that edge face of the door remote from the hinge.

7. A closing mechanism for railroad car doors comprising, in combination with a pair of transversely aligned U-shaped frame uprights, a door of a width somewhat less than the distance between the base walls of the two uprights, a two-wing hinge having one of its wings fixed to the door and its other wing cranked for embracing the adjacent upright and provided with an abutment lug, said adjacent upright being cut away over that part of its height corresponding to said cranked hinge wing, a pintle pivotally carrying the free end of the cranked hinge wing, vertically aligned bearings on side extensions of the last-named upright for receiving the pintle, a latch bar slidably fitted on said last-named upright parallel to its base wall and having spaced abutment bosses engageable with said abutment lug and an inwardly extending beveled tenon, a spring urging the respective abutments into mutual engagement and holding the cranked hinge wing stationary while the door is in opened out position, a mortise in the adjacent edge face of the door for engaging said tenon and shifting it sidewise together with the latch bar as the door is swung home for disengaging the respective abutments and releasing said hinge wing from said latch bar upon completion of the inward swinging motion of the door, thus permitting sliding motion of the door into or from the U-shaped upright opposite to the one carrying the hinge with respect to the pintle, a latch lock carried by that edge face of the door remote from the hinge, and a bolt carried by the adjacent upright and engageable with said loc In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LOUIS RENAUD. 

